Chapter 1 Reading Report: An Approach to Film Analysis
1. Understanding Audience Expectations:
This section stresses that, when analyzing a film, one must consider the preconceived notions that the viewers will have on a film, and how these notions are met, or, how they are disregarded. A views can form expectations about the film based on many factors. The genre of the film, such as a Western, can lead viewers to expect a revenge-driven shootout, as was done in Unforgiven (1990). Actors or actresses staring in the film will also influence the audiences’ expectations of the film. A film starring Tom Cruise is expected to be thriller, and one starring Will Smith would be expected to be a comedy.
2. Orchestration of Detail:
By taking into account the structure of details within the film, one should be able to understand how elements interact to create the basis of the film. The structure of the film can be split up into sections. Such sections can be found by marking turning points within a films plot. A prime example of a turning point would be when in the film, The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005), Andy, an introverted character, begins to become accepted in to a group of his co-workers, and eventually part of it. Other examples of turning points would be when a film moves from one topic to another, …show more content…
References within a film can be to historical events, as commonly seen in fictional films, such as when the film Cold Mountain (2003) mentioned the battle of Petersburg. Films can also make references through the actors themselves. For example, when Al Pacino played Big Boy in Dick Tracy (1990) he parodied his performances as gangsters in his previous films. Films may also employ intertextual references, references to other works, such as when Run Lola Run (1999) made reference to a lady sitting in Hitchcock’s Vertigo
1. Understanding Audience Expectations:
This section stresses that, when analyzing a film, one must consider the preconceived notions that the viewers will have on a film, and how these notions are met, or, how they are disregarded. A views can form expectations about the film based on many factors. The genre of the film, such as a Western, can lead viewers to expect a revenge-driven shootout, as was done in Unforgiven (1990). Actors or actresses staring in the film will also influence the audiences’ expectations of the film. A film starring Tom Cruise is expected to be thriller, and one starring Will Smith would be expected to be a comedy.
2. Orchestration of Detail:
By taking into account the structure of details within the film, one should be able to understand how elements interact to create the basis of the film. The structure of the film can be split up into sections. Such sections can be found by marking turning points within a films plot. A prime example of a turning point would be when in the film, The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005), Andy, an introverted character, begins to become accepted in to a group of his co-workers, and eventually part of it. Other examples of turning points would be when a film moves from one topic to another, …show more content…
References within a film can be to historical events, as commonly seen in fictional films, such as when the film Cold Mountain (2003) mentioned the battle of Petersburg. Films can also make references through the actors themselves. For example, when Al Pacino played Big Boy in Dick Tracy (1990) he parodied his performances as gangsters in his previous films. Films may also employ intertextual references, references to other works, such as when Run Lola Run (1999) made reference to a lady sitting in Hitchcock’s Vertigo